Qualifications include business and industry administration, human resource management, finance, evaluation and a slew of specialties, including manufacturing, health care, public school leadership or "other life experiences that would benefit the State Board of Education," the law states.

Rushed procedure

"I thought we had a great process," said committee member Stan Lockhart, a Micron spokesman and lobbyist and former GOP chairman for Utah County. "We had a lot of careful deliberation and discussion. . . . We had many highly qualified people who applied for the state school board, and the people (who will be) on the ballot are highly qualified."

Jordan District superintendent and committee member Barry Newbold agrees the committee did its best under a tight deadline. The committee, which in the future will be assembled the year before an election, was put together in June and had to submit its recommendations by July 1.

The rushed procedure resulted in scheduling conflicts, and as many as half of the six education representatives were unable to attend the meeting when votes were cast, Newbold said.

"Everyone decided we can only do the best we can do in the time we've got," Newbold said. "A lot of this, in my opinion, was unavoidable, given (the timeline)."

But recommended candidate Finch indicated the system has inherent problems.

Finch says the governor's office informed him he won't be on the ballot. He believes he didn't make the cut because his views on public education clash with Walker's.

"I think this entire committee process is a joke. I don't think it should be up to the governor or a committee at all who should be on the ballot. . . . I think people are smart enough to decide," Finch said. "(This) just means the governor's candidates will go on the ballot . . . (and will) favor the establishment, and I don't think anything will ever change."

Walker spokeswoman Amanda Covington said the governor simply carried out her charge.

"It's her decision to make, and she conducted thorough interviews with all the candidates who were sent to her."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com